Letters from Samaria: The Prose and Poetry of Louie Clay, 1974-2014

"Letters from Samaria" gathers together much of Louie Crew’s best and most influential prose and poetry, written from 1974 until the present day, including an essay that will be composed especially for the volume. Much of the material has not appeared since its original publication in newsletters and other ephemeral sources. It is crisply written, and often surprising for its bravery, matter-of-fact self-disclosure, insight, and love. Louie played a pivotal role in transforming the Episcopal Church – and, indeed, Christianity – over the past forty years. Within living memory, the Church operated as a primary motivator of the spiritual, psychological, and physical violence that plagued lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. This collection provides a window into Louie Crew’s unlikely and at times shocking ministry throughout the years, not retrospectively, but as history was unfolding.